No Roads Left But One
by ILoveSupernatural
Summary: Zachariah wasn’t the only one who wanted Dean to say yes to Michael. Sam did too.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Sam, Dean or Castiel. They (sadly) belong to Erik Kripke and the CW.

Summary: Zachariah wasn't the only one who wanted Dean to say yes to Michael. Sam did too.

Beta: ArmagonAuthor

A/N: So this is my third fanfic and my first multi chapter fic. Its set after episode 5.10 - Abandon All Hope. If you like it and want me to continue please drop a review. Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Huge thanks to my friends Romi, Hetal and Ritu and last but not least the amazing ArmagonAuthor who helped me a great deal with this one. Thanks a lot buddy!

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**No Roads Left But One**

**Chapter 1**

_**When did I lose my sense of purpose?  
Can I regain what's lost inside?  
Why do I feel like I deserve this?  
Why does my pain look like my pride?**_

_**I run till the silence splits me open  
I run till it puts me underground  
Till I have no breath  
And no roads left but one**_

_**- No Roads Left by Linkin Park**_

_**

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Sam couldn't sleep. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Jo's torn up body. Ellen's tears as she watched her baby die slowly. Her decision to stay with Jo so that Sam and Dean could escape. The explosion. More people were dead. People they loved, who had suffered because of their association with the Winchesters. With Sam. All because of him. All because he had set Lucifer free. All because Lucifer wanted him. It all came down to him.

He wanted so badly to end all this. To end all the pain, suffering and guilt. He wanted to kill himself. He had tried to kill himself before, on the night when Dean had refused his offer of getting back together. He knew he deserved that but Dean was his only hope. With that gone, he had nothing left. And what scared Sam the most was that he had no idea whether it was a temporary break or a permanent one. So he had tried to end things. One bullet in his head was all it would take. Or so Sam thought. He woke up next morning with no scar, no trace of a bullet ever having been there. God knows how he did it, but Lucifer bought him back. Even death wasn't a way out for him. What could be worse than that? Sam was screwed. And he knew it.

Lucifer was right. Sam was going to say yes to him. Sam didn't know how and why, but he knew that was how his life was going to end. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't convince himself otherwise. He was weak. He couldn't change the evil that was inside him. He had tried so hard not to turn into this monster, this freak that he was. But that's exactly what he had become. Like Dean had said, he was no different from the things they hunted. And even though he didn't want to become the devil's meat suit, Lucifer would find ways to break him. Make him helpless till Sam said yes.

Sometimes, Sam felt like giving in. Saying yes. Just so that he could end things. Stop feeling anything. Stop feeling the loss of more loved ones. Stop thinking how disappointed his parents must be in him. Stop thinking how Jess, his beautiful Jess was dead because of him. How Dean had suffered in hell for 40 years. How the entire world would burn. All cause of him. All because he was weak. All that talk about going down fighting seemed pretty useless now.

Sometimes, he felt like convincing Dean to say yes to Michael. Just so that they could end things once and for all. He knew Dean was way stronger than him. Michael would destroy Lucifer. And then everything would be over. But even if he survived, things would never be how they were. They would never go back to being how they were. And that was all on Sam. All because of his choices, his mistakes.

Oh God! He was going to become Lucifer's vessel. Lucifer would be wearing his meat suit when he destroyed the world. He would probably kill Dean too. No. He couldn't let that happen. Which meant only one thing. He had to convince Dean to say yes to Michael.

He had no doubt where he was going to end up. There was no way he would be accepted into Heaven after all that he had done, especially if and when he agreed to let the devil do horrible things in his skin. But if Dean said yes to Michael, at least he would be spared the horror of being trapped inside of his own body and watching himself destroy the world. If Dean said yes, Sam wouldn't get that far. Michael would destroy the devil and put an end to all of this. He could finally be at peace, even if he had to do it in hell. And so would Dean.

He knew what he had to do. Now the hard part was, convincing Dean. Dean would never agree to this. No matter how much Sam would try, Dean was NOT going to say yes to this. He would probably punch Sam in the face for even suggesting such a thing. Kick his a** even. After all, Sam was to blame for all this. Why should Dean be the one to suffer?

But there was no other way. He had to convince Dean NOW, before it was too late. He knew how to do that. There was only one person who could manage to convince Dean to agree to this, whom Dean trusted more than Sam…Castiel.

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So....should I continue or trash it? Press the review button and let me know.

Thank you for reading my fic. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Sam, Dean or Castiel. They (sadly) belong to Eric Kripke and the CW.

Summary: Zachariah wasn't the only one who wanted Dean to say yes to Michael. Sam did too.

Beta: ArmagonAuthor

A/N: Firstly I would like to thank everyone who dropped a review, added this to story alert and to their favorites. You guys are awesome and each and every review meant a lot to me. So thank you very much guys!

A/N2: Again a huge round of thanks to ArmagonAuthor. You are truly amazing and I'm honored that you're my beta.

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**No Roads Left But One**

**Chapter 2**

Sam glanced at his watch. It was 5am. Was it too early to call Castiel? It wasn't like Castiel would be asleep anyways. He had to make it quick before Dean woke up.

He glanced at Dean. He was fast asleep, hand tucked under his pillow holding his knife. Jo and Ellen's death had been hard on Dean, hell it had been hard on him too but Dean had been rather quiet the last few days. They had driven for miles trying to find a simple hunt. Something that didn't deal with the damn apocalypse. No such luck. Exhausted, they had stopped at the nearest motel. The clerk at the front desk had been over friendly, asking them how long they intended to stay but one glare from Dean had silenced him. Dean had fallen asleep on the bed nearest to the door without saying even a word to Sam. Dean wouldn't talk to Sam unless absolutely necessary. Sam was reminded of the time after their Dad's death.

He got up from his bed as quietly as he could, picked up his cell phone from the table near his bed and made his way outside, glancing at Dean one last time to make sure he was asleep.

Once outside, he closed the door as quietly as he could and dialed Castiel's number.

Castiel answered on the second ring.

"Samuel."

"Hey Cas. I umm….needed to talk to you about something."

"Go ahead."

"Not on the phone. Could you please get here as soon as possible? It's kind off important. Hello? Cas? Dammit!" He swore when heard the line go dead.

He was about to redial, when he heard the Angel's voice from behind him. "You wished to see me, Sam."

Sam jumped and turned around to see the Angel looking at him with curiosity. "You have got to stop doing that Cas! You almost gave me a heart attack there!" Sam said as he tried to catch his breath.

"I apologize. What is it you wished to see me for? Where is Dean?"

"Dean's asleep and we'll let him stay that way." Sam sighed. Castiel continued to look at him suspiciously but didn't push.

"Well Cas. I'm not gonna beat around the bush. I want you to be absolutely honest with me here, ok?" When Castiel nodded, Sam took a deep breath and continued. "What chances do you think we have of winning this war?"

Castiel looked rather taken aback by this. "Why do you ask?"

"Just answer me Cas."

"I am an angel, Sam. Not a prophet. I cannot predict what course the future might take."

"No but you can tell me what you think."

Castiel looked at Sam. He thought for a few moments as if choosing his words carefully. "That depends."

Sam almost laughed. Leave it to Castiel to give straightforward answers.

"Depends on what?"

"Is this conversation really necessary Sam? I have pressing matters I must attend to." Castiel snapped, squinting his eyes in irritation. It looked like Dean had finally managed to rub off on Cas.

"Yes it is. Please Cas I just -" Sam sighed wearily before he spoke again. "Look I know I'm not you're favorite person ok? Far from that. I am after all The Boy with the Demon Blood in him. Lucifer's true vessel. So I know you have no reason to trust me. And I can't blame you for that. Just- just tell me the truth Cas. I need to know."

Castiel took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he looked sad and tired.

"Things are not looking good Sam. Lucifer, as you know, cannot be killed by the Colt. This brings us back to square one. We have no weapon to kill our enemy…..apart from-" Castiel stopped talking at this point.

Sam completed what Castiel had been trying to say. "Apart from Dean."

Castiel looked up at Sam. "Yes."

"So is that our only hope left now? Dean?"

Castiel took a deep breath. "I do not know Sam. Maybe."

"Maybe?" Sam was angry now. "Is that all you can say? You use my brother as you wish and you still want to keep us in the dark? You made him torture Alistair even though you knew it would break him. We almost lost him that time Cas. I could have lost him!" Sam was practically screaming now but he didn't care. "You blame me for the apocalypse even though you could have avoided it. I was wrong I know but dammit I didn't know what I was doing. You guys knew all along and yet you kept us in the dark. You were the ones who kept one little fact from me and Dean – that Lilith was the final seal, that killing Lilith would lead to Lucifer coming back. You know what-" Sam was beyond pissed now. "You can keep your secrets but I've had enough. I refuse to allow you guys to manipulate Dean and-and" Sam couldn't continue. He was so angry that he was seeing red. "Oh God…." He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to get his breathing under control. The blame game wasn't going to get him anywhere.

When he finally looked back at Castiel, Sam was taken aback by the look of sadness and remorse on the angel's face. Castiel rarely displayed any emotion, except for anger which was usually directed towards Sam or sometimes Dean.

"I…" he started. "I apologize Sam. I was too blind. I thought I was following God's orders. I never thought about the consequences of my actions." He fell silent after that. After a moment he added, "I have paid for my deeds Sam. Uriel killed many of my brothers and sisters. My family. Do not think that I have not suffered because of this war."

Sam felt a pang of guilt. He knew he shouldn't have shouted at Castiel. He was just….tired. It was all getting to him. He took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry Cas. I'm just…tired."

Castiel looked at him and nodded. "But this is not what you called me here for is it?"

"No."

"Well then go ahead, Sam."

Sam took a deep breath. This is it, he thought. "Cas, I need you to help me convince Dean to-" Sam paused here, unsure. "To say yes to Michael."

Silence. All Sam could hear was his own breathing. Castiel showed no reaction except for looking away from Sam.

"Cas?"

"No."

Sam looked surprised. "Umm, what?"

"I cannot do this Sam."

"But-"

"You can't ask me to help you with this Sam."

"Why not?"

Castiel looked him straight in the eye this time, his gaze firm and unwavering. "Because it goes against everything I stand for. Against everything I rebelled. I cannot do this Samuel."

"But you said Dean was the only chance we have at winning this-"

"I did not say that! There must be another way." Castiel was getting restless and impatient now.

"Oh yeah?" Sam smirked. "Well what is it Cas?"

"I do not know it yet, but I am searching for it."

"Really? And how much time do you think we have? Do you think you can find it in say… Oh, I don't know…6 months?"

Castiel was angry now. "I am doing the best I can Sam!"

Sam sighed. "I know Cas. But we don't have time…"

"Do you have any idea what will happen when Michael fights Lucifer, Sam?" Castiel asked. His eyes were hard and cold and a chill passed through Sam. "Billions of people will die."

"And what do you think is going to happen when Lucifer finally gets his vessel huh?" Sam was angry again. "What happens then Castiel? What happens when he uses me as his meat suit? Do you think he's going to spare everyone out of the goodness of his heart then?"

Castiel looked stunned now. He fumbled "That-". He sighed and took a deep breath before saying "We will not allow that to happen Sam."

"Really? Cause I think that is exactly what is going to happen Cas!"

"Is this what you want, Sam?" Castiel looked angry now.

"NO!" Sam was livid now. How could Castiel even think that Sam could want this?

"Then why are you asking me to do this Sam? This could very well destroy your brother."

"Because I don't want to be the one to kill him! I don't want to be the one who takes his life!" Sam screamed. "What I want doesn't matter. It never did. I never wanted this life. I never wanted Dean to die and go to hell. I never wanted to turn into a monster. See how that turned out!" Sam had to look away now.

Castiel became quiet. He seemed to be having trouble coming up with right words. He sighed heavily and then spoke gently. "Have faith in yourself Sam."

"Too late for that." Sam muttered.

"Then have faith in your brother. He will not allow Lucifer to take you Sam."

Sam spoke quietly now. "I do have faith in Dean. I just don't have any faith in myself. I don't trust myself anymore." Sam finished quietly.

Castiel didn't know what to say. But he had to leave. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

"I must go now Sam. We will meet again soon."

"Wait…" When Sam looked up, Castiel was gone.

Sam sighed wearily. Great, he thought. He was alone now.

He looked at the time in his watch. It was almost 6am now. Dean would be waking up soon. And then Sam had to talk to him. Alone. And wasn't that just great.

He walked to their room and opened the door as quietly as he could. And stopped dead in his tracks.

Dean was in the middle of a nightmare. And it sounded bad. "No-" He cried out softly. "Sammy-"

Sam rushed to Dean. He tried to hold Dean who was now thrashing muttering something he couldn't catch. "Hey Dean. Its ok. Wake up. I'm here. It's just a nightmare. Wake up. I gotcha." He whispered softly to Dean, shaking him lightly.

Suddenly, Dean gasped, his eyes flew open and he looked Sam straight in the eye.

The next thing that happened was that Sam found himself pushed against the wall and Dean's hands were around his throat. "I'm gonna kill you, you bastard!" Dean looked murderous as he tightened his hands, effectively choking Sam.

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Ooh so whats wrong with Dean? You'll have to wait for chapter 3 to find out. Yay my first cliffie! :-D

If you like it please do review. Chapter 3 might take a while cause I have an exam this Sunday and it brings me face to face with one of my worst fears - Maths! O-o I'll probably have it up by Tuesday or Wednesday though.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing my fic. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Sam, Dean, Castiel or anything related to Supernatural. They belong to Evil…umm I mean Eric Kripke and the CW.

Summary: Zachariah wasn't the only one who wanted Dean to say yes to Michael. Sam did too.

Beta: ArmagonAuthor

A/N: Hello everyone. Sorry for taking so long to post this. This chapter was really difficult to write and I didn't want to mess it up. Hope you guys like it. *fingers crossed* Also I would once again like to thank everyone who reviewed this and put it on alert. You guys are awesome.

A/N2: This one is for Hetal who wanted Limp Sammy. Hope you like it! ;)

A/N3: Last but never ever least huge round of thanks to my super-beta ArmagonAuthor. You are awesome and I really cannot thank you enough for all the help and words of encouragement. All those who haven't read her fics yet, you don't know what you're missing.

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**No Roads Left But One**

**Chapter 3**

Dean woke with a start. _Uh oh_, he thought. He wasn't in the motel room anymore. Instead, he was lying in the middle of the street in a deserted town. "Sammy? Where the hell are we?" he asked as he took a good look around. Sam was nowhere to be seen. _Wait a minute_, Dean thought. He got up and took another look around. He was getting a feeling of déjà vu. Like he had been here before but he couldn't remember and-

"Oh God, no," Dean mumbled aloud, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He started running as fast as his legs could carry him. He had to find Sam, fast and get away from this godforsaken place. "SAM!" He screamed, but he didn't get any reply. He kept on running till he came to a garden of some sort. There was nothing here except for a few bushes of blood red roses. Dean swallowed hard and tried to keep the bile from rising. "SAMMY!" he screamed. He kept on running. He had to find Sam. He just _had_ to before-

Suddenly, he saw a man up ahead, and his heart dropped. "Oh hell no…" It couldn't be. He had sworn he wouldn't let it happen. This couldn't be him.

And then…the man turned.

He seemed to have been expecting Dean. "Welcome back, Dean. It's good to see you," he said, an evil smirk lighting up his face. "I told you we'd end up here."

Dean felt like he had been punched in the gut. He couldn't breathe. _No_, he thought. _This can't be happening. _"Sammy..." he said.

"Sammy?" The man was now eyeing Dean questioningly. "I'm afraid you won't be seeing him anymore. You see I've sent him on a –" He paused smiling wide. "permanent vacation." He continued to look at Dean as if studying him.

_This can't be happening_, Dean thought. Sammy wasn't gone. He was just having a nightmare, that's all. And when he woke up, Sam would be there. And all he could see was Sam. His Sam. The one with the warm, puppy-dog-eyes. With a smile that could light up the entire room. With the too-long, shaggy hair. With those hoodies that were too small for his huge frame. And yet, _this_ wasn't Sam. It couldn't be him. His eyes lacked any warmth, his hair was neatly combed, and looked like it had been gelled back. He was dressed in a pristine white suit and had a rose pinned to the front pocket of his jacket. And the worst part was the damn smirk on his face. Dean had an overwhelming urge to wipe it off.

Screw this, he thought. Sam was gone anyway. He didn't care what happened to him anymore. He had no reason left to live. He lunged for the man, who didn't move an inch, catching him by the throat. "I'm gonna kill you, you bastard!" He knew there was nothing he could do. He would probably be dead within a few minutes. But he didn't care. "You chose the wrong vessel", he growled, tightening his fingers.

And then suddenly, he was back in the motel room. And he still had his arms around the man's throat. But this wasn't him, this was Sam. _His_ Sam. He wasn't Lucifer's vessel. Not yet. _And he's never going to be_,Dean thought. He wasn't going to let it happen. This was his Sam. His Sam, with the puppy dog eyes and shaggy hair. His Sam, who was struggling to breathe and looking at him, eyes wide with fear and confusion.

"Dean-", Sam paused, struggling to breathe. "Let me-." He gasped as he felt Dean's hands tighten around his neck. Dean looked murderous and Sam felt a chill go down his spine. "Please let me go, Dean."

Abruptly, Dean let him go. Sam fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for air. He looked back at Dean who was looking at his hands as if they had been burned.

Dean looked at Sam and then back at his hands. He had almost strangled his little brother. It had been a nightmare. _But it felt so real_-

"Dean?" Sam's voice pulled him out of his reverie. He looked at Sam who was still on the floor. Sam was looking at him with concern. No fear. No anger, like Dean expected it to be. "Are you okay?" he asked and Dean could have laughed. He had tried to choke Sam and here Sam was asking if he was ok. Dean couldn't get the words out though. He closed his eyes and nodded, trying to get his breathing under control.

Sam got up, massaging his throat. He looked at Dean. "What the hell was _that _all about?" he asked.

Uh oh, Dean thought. He wasn't ready for this. He opened his eyes, and looked at Sam. "You okay, Sammy?" Sam nodded. "I'm sorry Sammy, I…" He sighed heavily. "Just a nightmare."

"About what?" Sam asked, curiously. Damn Sam for pushing the subject when all Dean wanted was to forget about it.

"Nothing." Dean snapped and then closed his eyes again. "Just drop it, Sammy." He needed a shower. Yup. A long shower would really help him think. Give him time to cool down.

Sam was still looking at him like he was going to break. The concern in his eyes was evident. Dean didn't need that right now. The nightmare was still playing in his mind like a mini-movie.

He moved to his duffel bag, took out his clothes and made his way towards the bathroom without even glancing at Sam. "I'm taking a shower. Pack you're stuff. We're gonna leave this place behind." Before Sam could utter another word, he went inside the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Sam sat down on his bed. He sighed heavily and tried to process what had just happened. Dean had tried to strangle him. A chill passed through Sam as he remembered the look in Dean's eyes. And what was that he had said? Something about choosing the wrong vessel. Sam's eyes widened as he realized just what Dean had said. Could Dean have dreamt about him being Lucifer? Was he having nightmares about Sam being the devil's meat puppet? If Dean was having nightmares it meant Dean was really scared of this too. He couldn't even imagine what all this would do to Dean. Watching his baby brother bring the world to an end. This would kill Dean. Hell, _Sam_ would probably end up being the one to kill Dean. He had to make sure that didn't happen. Which meant he had to ask Dean now, when he was vulnerable. When this was probably fresh on Dean's mind. He knew it was a low blow…but he just had to do this.

Dean came out of the shower, fully dressed with a towel slung on his shoulder. He stopped when he saw that Sam hadn't moved. Sam was sitting on his bed and staring blankly at the wall. "I thought I told you to pack your stuff," he barked and then spoke a little softly, "We need to go Sam. We have to find another hunt. I can't just sit here doing nothing, it's driving me nuts." He finished.

Sam nodded, and then looked at Dean. "Dean, we need to talk."

Dean, who was now packing Sam's stuff, replied without even looking at him, "In case you haven't noticed Sam, I'm not really in the mood to chat."

Sam sighed heavily before responding. "Dean-."

"Fine." Dean snapped. "We'll talk in the car. Now get going." he said throwing Sam's duffel at him.

"No, Dean. We have to talk now. Here." Sam replied.

Dean looked annoyed now. "Do we really have to do this _now_, Sam?"

Sam took a deep breath and then nodded. "Yes we do. Please, Dean just hear me out. It's really important," he begged.

Dean was curious now. What could Sam possibly have to say to him that couldn't wait?

"Fine." He grumbled and sat down on his bed.

Sam took a deep breath. This is it, he thought. "Dean, I think you should-" he paused, taking a deep breath, "I think you should say yes to Michael."

_Silence is deafening_, Sam thought. Dean hadn't uttered a word. He looked too stunned to respond. "What?" He barked. Dean was up now and moving towards Sam. He yanked Sam up by the collar of his shirt and for the second time that day, Sam found himself pushed roughly against the wall. "What the hell did you just say to me?" Dean looked more furious now than he ever had and Sam was starting to get a little scared now.

"Dean…" Sam was at a loss for words now. He just didn't know what to say. _You should have thought this through you idiot_, he thought.

"I asked you what did you say to me, Sam?" Dean repeated, tightening his hold on Sam. All of a sudden, Dean let Sam go and turned around. Before Sam could react, Dean turned and punched him hard in the face.

"Goddamit!" Dean swore. He was seeing red now. Sam had just asked him to say yes to Michael. Asked him to be Michael's vessel. Why the hell would his little brother ask him to do that? Did he want him gone? What could possibly have made him say that?

Sam was nursing his jaw which was beginning to bruise but Dean didn't care. He just needed to know how Sam, of all the people could ask him to do this.

"Why, Sammy?" He asked, his voice breaking. "Why would you ask me to do that, huh? You better have a good reason for even asking me to do this…"

Sam was at a loss for words. He knew Dean would be angry but this…this wasn't what he expected. Dean looked like he had been stabbed in the back. The look in his eyes was so sad that Sam couldn't bear to look and he hung his head before speaking. "Dean, I just…it's the only way left Dean. The colt can't kill Lucifer. And we don't have much time. Only 6 months before…" Sam paused.

"Before? Before what?" Dean asked. When Sam didn't answer, Dean asked him again. "What do you mean by we only have 6 months? What's going to happen in 6 months?" When Sam still didn't answer, Dean took a deep breath and spoke again, a little softly this time. "What are you talking about, Sam?"

Sam looked up this time. He looked Dean straight in the eye and said, "Before I become Lucifer's vessel."

Dean reeled back in shock. What was Sam saying? Before he became Lucifer's vessel? "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Dean asked, his temper rising again.

"In Carthage, after he knocked you out, Lucifer said it was only a matter of 6 months before, he took over me. Before I said yes…" Sam looked away at this point. After a couple of minutes, he looked back at Dean with tears in his eyes. "Don't you see it, Dean? I'm going to be Lucifer's vessel. I can't even end things for myself. No matter what I do, that's how I'm going to end up. It's what I'm destined to be." He finished quietly.

Dean was enraged now. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Is this what you want Sam? Bet it'll make you feel really powerful, huh?" He smirked as he saw Sam wince. _Serves him right_, he thought.

Sam looked away, and it was a while before he spoke again, this time so quietly that Dean had to strain to hear what he was saying. "It's not what I want Dean. But that doesn't matter anymore, does it? I never wanted to lose Jess, never wanted to turn into a blood-sucking freak. I never wanted to have some hunters force demon blood down my throat, just so that I could kill demons." Sam paused at this point, unable to continue. He looked up at Dean this time before speaking. "I never wanted you to die Dean. Never wanted to let you go. But it didn't matter. It all happened anyways. Just like this is going to happen. But I don't want to be the one to kill you, Dean. So if you say yes, maybe we could stop that from happening." He finished quietly.

Dean was stunned, to say the very least. Hunters had tried to force Sam to have demon blood? That was just downright cruel. Dean felt his blood boil. He was going to hunt those bastards down. They would pay for this. All he needed was their names and that would be their last day on earth. But he would deal with them later. Cause now he needed to deal with Sam. And the words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "You make the mess, I clean it up. That's how it's always going to be, isn't it Sam?" He felt no satisfaction when Sam flinched after hearing that though.

Grabbing his jacket, Dean spared one last look at Sam before he picked up the keys to the Impala and made his way to the door. He opened it and paused, saying "I'm going out for some time. I need to think. Alone." He added.

"But, Dean…"

"Be back in a couple of hours." Dean finished before he slammed the door behind him. Making his way to the Impala, he got inside and drove away before Sam could utter another word.

_Great_, Sam thought. _Now he's angry with me_. But what could he do? He was so scared. Was he even right, asking Dean to do this for him? He had screwed up so much that he wasn't sure things would ever be right between him and Dean. Should he just leave? He snorted. Ya, like that was going to solve everything. It would just make him an easier target for Lucifer. No. He would wait for Dean. He had put all his cards on the table and told Dean whatever he needed to. Now he would do whatever Dean would ask him to. Having made up his mind, Sam turned around, intending to take a shower himself, only to come face to face with someone he least expected.

"Hello, Sam." A crushing blow to his head was the last thing Sam remembered before he lost consciousness altogether.

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Dun dun dun….. now who could that be?

So how was it? Good? Bad? Press that review button and let me know. Reviews might just make me update faster you know. ;)

Thank you for taking the time to read this. The next update will be next year. :-D I will try to update this asap.

Wish you all A Very "Supernatural" Christmas and a Happy New Year! Happy holidays. Have a great time everyone. God Bless.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Sam, Dean, Castiel, Bobby or anything related to Supernatural. They belong to Evil…umm I mean Eric Kripke and the CW.

Summary: Zachariah wasn't the only one who wanted Dean to say yes to Michael. Sam did too.

Beta: ArmagonAuthor

A/N: Hello everyone. Ok firstly I am really really sorry for taking nearly a month to post this. This chapter was difficult to write since, well I hadn't really planned it out this way. And when I was finally ready to post it, my dear old PC decided to add to my troubles. I installed an antivirus after which I couldn't access my hard disk. Whenever I tried to open any file, it kept showing me an error message saying "You do not have permission to access this file." Can you believe that? I DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO ACCESS MY OWN FILES ON MY OWN GODDAMN COMPUTER! Arrrrrrrrrgh! Sorry about the caps, just had to get that out! Fortunately I got that sorted out. Anyways end of rant here. Thank you guys for sticking to this. (if you are even interested in this now i.e). You guys are the best! 3

A/N2: Huge thanks to my dear friend Romi who helped me a great deal with this one. Love you sis.

Well without further ado, here's Chapter 4.

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Chapter 4

Sam woke up with a pounding headache. He tried to open his eyes, but the light around him was too harsh, and he squeezed them shut. He could feel something wet trickling down the side of his face and knew it was blood. Moving his head, Sam regretted it immediately as pain laced through it. He moaned softly and tried to rub his head, but found that he couldn't. In fact, he couldn't move at all. His hands were bound tightly behind his back, his feet bound to the legs of the chair he was sitting on. _Great_**,** he thought. _How the hell did I end up here?_ All of a sudden, it all came back to him. Dean had left. Not that Sam could really blame him for that. He had left Sam alone, saying he would be back. After Dean left, Sam thought about everything and decided that he would listen to everything Dean said. He owed him that. And when he had turned around, intending to take a shower, he had come face to face with someone he least expected. And that was the last thing he remembered.

"Glad you're back with us, Sam." The someone spoke and Sam groaned_. I know that damn voice_, he thought. Sam forced himself to open his eyes and looked straight ahead at the man who was sitting right across him. "We were afraid you were gonna miss the show." He smirked. Damn, Sam wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face. Not that he could do that right now because, well he was kind off tied up. And who was "we"? Who else was there with him? When Sam didn't say anything, he got up, walked over to Sam stood right before him, and bent down so that they were eye to eye. "Well I finally caught up with you. Damn, what a wild-goose chase you have led me on, but I finally got you." He smiled again and if Sam wasn't bound, he'd have punched him right in the face.

"What do you want?" Sam asked. Everything was hurting and all he wanted to do was sleep.

"Patience, Sam. You will find out soon enough. Let's just wait for that brother of yours to show up, shall we? Till then I have a friend here I want you to meet. I'm sure you remember him." Another man came and stood ahead of him and Sam remembered him all right. He had seen him just a few months back. He looked at Sam and smirked. "Revenge is sweet, Winchester." he said and punched Sam in the face. Sam winced as pain laced through his head again and after a few more punches, he let the darkness take over and lost consciousness.

"That's enough." The first man warned the second one. "We don't want to kill him." The second man stepped back reluctantly but after a minute, he looked back at the first man and said, "Ok but after you're done with Dean, I get to have my way with this one." He nodded towards Sam. "What do you need Dean for anyways?" He was curious now.

The first man's face hardened. "I'll worry about Dean." He said, coldly. "Once we have him, you can do whatever you want with this one for all I care." He smirked and both of them sat down on Sam's bed and waited for Dean to arrive.

* * *

Dean slammed the motel room door and walked to his car. He was furious and it was probably not a good idea to drive right now with the frame of mind he was in, but he needed to get away from Sam before he ended up doing something he would regret. He got into the car, took one last look at the motel room he and Sam were staying in and drove away. He didn't really know where to go, he just knew that had to get away for a while.

He found himself driving around aimlessly when he heard his cell phone ringing. Thinking it was Sam, he didn't bother to answer it. Last thing he needed right now was to listen to his brothers whining. He ignored it the second time too, but when the phone rang for the third time he pulled the car over to the side of the road in frustration.

"Yeah?" He snapped.

"Damn, ya idjit! How long does it take to answer the goddamn phone?" Bobby was screaming into the phone.

Dean held the phone away from his ear and let Bobby continue his rant. After a while when he didn't hear anything, he spoke. "What's up Bobby?"

"Where are you boys? Why isn't Sam answering his phone? You boys are ok, aren't ya?"

_ Sam isn't answering his phone?_ Dean thought. _Weird._ He didn't think much about it though. Sam was probably moping. "Ya we're ok. Physically at least."

He heard Bobby curse. "What did you do now?" he asked angrily.

Dean was angry now. Bobby was asking him what _he_ had done? What about what Sam did? "I didn't _do_ anything. You know what, screw you Bobby. I don't need this right now." Dean snapped.

"You watch your mouth when you speak to me, boy!" Bobby snapped and Dean winced. An angry Bobby Singer was not something he wanted to deal with.

"I just…" He heard the line go quite and after a minute, Bobby spoke.

"What happened this time, Dean?" Bobby sounded tired.

Dean sighed heavily before he finally spoke. "I don't know, Bobby. He's just…I feel like I don't know him anymore. I don't know what he's gonna say or do next. I'm really trying here, but I'm just so damn tired of everything and-" Dean's voice broke.

Dean heard Bobby sigh heavily on the other end and Dean could almost picture him removing his cap and running his hand over his head in frustration. "Sam with you?" he asked Dean. "No. I left him in the motel room. I just needed to be alone for a while." Dean replied. Something Sam said came back to him. "Hey Bobby? Did he ever tell you about some hunters who attacked him when we umm…" Dean paused "When we had split up?" Bobby answered though he spoke so softly that Dean almost didn't hear what he was saying. "Yup. He did tell me about them. One of them paid me a visit, askin' about Sam. Think his name was Hank. Anyhow, he asked me to tell him where Sam was or else he would kill me. Luckily I had my gun with me. I keep one with me at all times now. Since I can't…you know…" Bobby stopped talking at this point and Dean felt a twinge of sadness at just how miserable Bobby sounded. "Threatened to blow his face off if he ever came back." Bobby said, more firmly this time.

Dean was angry again. "And you didn't think of mentioning that to me till now?"

Bobby spoke much louder this time. "I told Sam about him. It was his decision whether to tell you or not Dean and I aint gonna meddle with that," he said firmly.

It was a while before Bobby spoke again and this time he sounded wearier than ever. "What happened, Dean?" Bobby asked again. "You boys just got back together." When Dean didn't respond, he continued. "Listen to me, Dean. I don't know what went down between you boys this time, but you need to stick together. Sam needs you, and you know you need him too." Bobby paused before he spoke, softly "We're all we have Dean. Just bring him over to my place, ok? "

Dean had calmed down now. He was still angry with Sam… but Bobby was right. They needed to sort this out and he needed to figure out why the hell Sam said what he did. "Ok Bobby. We'll be there by tomorrow. See ya then." Dean said goodbye and hung up. After that, he sat in silence for some time. He still couldn't believe what Sam had asked him to do. And while he was still very angry with Sam, he needed to talk this out with him too. Taking a deep breath, he started the car and turned around. He would take Sam with him to Bobby's and they would have a talk.

* * *

Dean pulled into the motel's parking lot. Turning off the car, he got out of it and checked to make sure he had locked the doors. He leaned against the car for who knows how long, unsure how to approach Sam. _Just have to get it over with_, he though. Sighing deeply, he made his way towards the motel room.

He knocked on the door and waited a minute but no one answered. Surprised, he called out to Sam. "Sam? Open the door." No answer. Annoyed, he turned the knob and was surprised to find it open. _That's odd_, he thought. Even Sam knew better than to leave the door unlocked.

He opened the door to find the room completely dark. "Sam?" he called out but received no response. _Must have gone out_, Dean thought. Closing the door behind him, Dean was about to open the curtains when suddenly, all the lights were turned on. Startled, Dean turned around only to find himself face to face with…

"Zachariah." Dean said. Damn, he thought. "Thought I smelled something stinking around here." He smirked. He stopped smirking though when he looked behind Zach and saw Sam.

Sam was gagged and tied to the chair. His head hung on his chest. Blood was seeping out of a gash from his head and from his nose and his entire face was covered in bruises. And to make things worse, a man Dean didn't recognize was holding a knife to Sam's throat.

"What the-", Dean started to walk towards Sam intending to beat the crap out of the man but stopped dead in his tracks, when the man pressed the knife against Sam's throat, causing Sam to wince in pain as blood trickled out of a small cut on his neck.

"Now, now." Zachariah said. "Is this any way to treat your guests?" He stood in front of Dean again. "It's good to see you, Dean."

"Screw you." Dean growled. Damn, the bastard had found them again. How he hated Zach.

Zachariah smirked yet again, which made Dean wanna break his damn teeth in. "Watch your mouth with me, or I might just wash your mouth with soap, young man."

"Cut the crap, stinky! What do you want?" Dean said keeping an eye on a dazed-looking Sam.

"Straight to the point huh, Deano? Well let me just introduce you to my friend first. Sam here has met him before." He motioned to Sam's captor. "Dean, meet Hank."

Anger coursed through Dean as he came face to face with the very hunter who had attacked his brother and tried to force him to drink demon blood. He looked at Sam, who nodded confirming everything Dean needed to know.

"You bastard!" Dean growled. "When we get outta this, I'm gonna hunt you down and salt and burn your bones." He threatened the hunter who just smiled.

"Firstly, Deano." he mocked, "what makes you think you or your brother are gonna escape? And secondly", he continued this time loosening his hold on Sam, "if it's the demon blood thing you're angry about then I say what's a drop in an ocean, huh?" He paused when he saw Dean grimace. "C'mon, Deano. You're a hunter like me, aren't ya? So your brother's a freak. Big deal. It's not your fault. You can, however make good use of his…freakiness or whatever. Right?"

"Shut your fucking mouth, you asshole!" Dean threatened. Seeing the pain in Sam's eyes was making him angry as hell.

Hank's face hardened. "Well, don't say we didn't play nice,_ Deano_." He tightened his hold on Sam again.

"What do you want?" Dean turned to Zach again who was watching the events unfold with a smile on his face.

"Well you already know that. You come with me, and you do what you're destined to do. Become who you are destined to be. That's all we ask, my boy. Think of all the lives you'll be saving. If we win, you'll get everything you want boy. Everything."

"And how do I know that you aren't playing me huh? How many lives are you gonna sacrifice just so that you can live cozily in that dream world of yours?" Dean muttered, angrily.

Zach frowned. Sighing deeply, he said. "Didn't you always want to be like your father, Dean? Your father would have agreed. He always thought about the greater good. You, on the other hand, are nothing like him." He said.

Dean growled and grabbed Zach roughly by the collar of his suit. "Don't you dare talk about my father." He let him go after a moment when Sam cried out in pain after Hank pressed the knife deeper into his neck.

Zach straightened his collar and looked at Dean. "Well, you have only two options. Come with me willingly and we'll let your brother go. If you make things difficult for us, be ready to watch Sammy here choke on his own blood."

Dean was beginning to panic now. Where the hell was Castiel? Had Zach got him too? How the hell were they supposed to get out of this? He had no choice now. He had to do this. _Guess you got what you wanted, Sam_, he thought bitterly.

"C'mon, Dean. I don't have all day, you know." Zach said impatiently.

"I'll come with you." Dean said softly.

"What was that? Didn't catch it." Zach mocked.

"I said, I'll go with you." Dean spoke louder this time. "But you gotta let Sam go now. And I want to drop him off at Bobby's before coming with you."

"Done." Zach said, happily. "Knew you would always make the right choice." Turning to Hank, he motioned to Hank and said. "Let him go."

Hank looked surprised. Tightening his hold on Sam, he said "No way." He looked like he was panicking. Looking at Zach he said "I'm not letting him get away. You promised me I could have my way with him." He said pointing towards Sam. "He's gonna help me take my revenge on those demons who killed my buddy." Looking at Dean he said, "He comes with me or else I'll rip out his throat."

Dean and Zach both made a move towards them. "Now you listen to me you fool-." Zachariah stopped dead in his tracks when Hank pulled out a gun and pointed it at Dean.

"Let my brother go, you asshole or I swear to God, I'll rip your throat out and I won't even need a knife!"

The next thing that happened, was that Dean heard a loud snap and Hank fell to the floor with his neck twisted at an odd angle. He was dead.

Dean looked at Zach, who was admiring his handiwork. "What?" He asked, as if surprised at the attention. "He was a pain in the ass right from the beginning. I just needed his help to track you boys down… Now where were we-" He pretended to made a thinking face. "Right! Well let's go Dean. Michael is waiting for you."

Suddenly, Dean found himself lying on the floor in a different room altogether. It looked familiar though. He looked beside him and Sam was there, looking dazed but no longer bound. It didn't take Dean long to figure out where they were and that the person who had saved them was-

"Castiel." Dean cried out in relief to the angel who was standing just next to him with a frown on his face. Dean smiled at him, and exhausted, he let himself lie down on the floor for a few minutes. They were okay. Castiel had just saved them again.

"How did he find you this time?" Castiel asked.

"Good to see you too, Cas." Dean smiled in relief.

"Well don't just lie there, ya idjit." Dean's smile grew wider when he heard a familiar voice. "Get yer brother up. He looks like shit. And next time-" Bobby looked at Castiel in mock anger. "I'd like a little warning before you land up in my house!"

Looking at Sam, he became serious and asked him, "You alright Sam?"

Dean glanced at Sam who nodded and who, like him, was just lying on the floor with his eyes closed. There was a small gash on his neck, his face was covered in bruises and there was a bigger gash on his head and Dean needed to take care of that. Dean's smile fell as he remembered what Sam had asked him to do. _That can wait_. Right now Sam needed their help.

They were gonna talk about it, alright. But not right now.

* * *

Well….how was it? I wasn't really sure about the ending but I couldn't come up with any better way to end this chapter. *frowns*

Reviews are love so please do review. It really means a lot.

Thank you for taking the time to read my fic. 3


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own them

Summary: Zachariah wasn't the only one who wanted Dean to say yes to Michael. Sam did too.

Beta: ArmagonAuthor

A/N: Hey guys. Well once again, I am very sorry for posting this chapter so late. I have been in such a bad mood lately that I didn't really feel like writing. Anyways no more excuses. So for all those still reading this, here's chapter 5.

A/N: This one's for Romi. Wish you a very Happy Birthday! Love you sis. :)

Chapter 5

Dean sighed heavily as he closed the door to their bedroom in Bobby's house. He had managed to patch Sam up. His face was covered in bruises which would take a while to heal completely. Sam had a slight concussion from the knock on his head, courtesy to Zachariah. The cut on his neck wasn't too deep – thankfully - and Dean had already bandaged the wound. Oddly enough, Sam had been quiet the whole time Dean carried out his ministrations. Dean wasn't really in a mood to talk to him either, at least not right now. He was tired and he just needed some shuteye so that he could forget the last couple of hours. Sam had muttered a quiet thank you and fallen asleep, facing the wall as soon as his head hit the pillow. Sleep hadn't come as easily for Dean, though. Since when did they thank each other for anything they did? How did they come to this? He sighed, closed his eyes and tried to sleep but no such luck. His dreams were plagued with the events of the day. The nightmare of watching Lucifer wear his baby brother's meat suit, said baby brother asking him to say yes to Michael, his fury on hearing Sam ask that, him punching Sam, leaving, coming back to find that Zach had caught up with them again…phew. What a day! They just couldn't catch a break could they? Rotten friggen Winchester luck.

Wide awake now, he got up and looked over at Sam who was fast asleep. After Sam woke up, they were gonna talk. They had to. As much as Dean hated it, it needed to be done. They couldn't function normally, well as normal as it got for them, with things hanging between them like that. So, Dean would do something he dreaded. Initiate 'the talk' with Sam. _Great, something to look forward to_, he thought sarcastically.

Getting up, he took one last look at Sam before he shut the door and went downstaris to Bobby's living room. Castiel was sitting on the couch with Bobby, and both men looked up when Dean entered the room. Bobby was the first to speak.

"Sam alright?" he asked. Dean nodded and sat down on the couch, closing his eyes. When he opened them, Bobby was looking at him with concern. "You ok, Dean?" He asked.

"Just peachy." Dean replied sarcastically. Bobby looked like he was gonna snap, but he seemed to think better and shut his mouth. Turning his wheelchair around, he motioned towards the kitchen and said, "I'm gonna make some coffee. God knows we could all use a drink but it's too damn early for that." He nodded at Castiel and went out of the room.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Castiel's voice startled Dean out of his reverie. He turned to look at Cas who was watching him with a mixture of curiosity and concern etched on his normally passive face face. "Umm…. Did you say something? Sorry, what?"

"How did he find you Dean? The tattoos should make it impossible for him to trace you."

Dean sighed. "Hank. He was this hunter who was tracking Sam down." Dean growled. He looked up when Bobby came into the room, struggling to balance the tray with the coffee mugs and move his chair. Getting up, he took the tray from Bobby and kept it on the table. Taking a cup, he sat back down and took a sip of the coffee. Sighing appreciatively, he leaned back into the couch.

"We need to come up with a better way for you to stay safe. Zachariah cannot find you again." Castiel said.

"Yeah? Well how are we gonna manage that? Even the rib tats can't keep that ass away. He'll find a way to get to us." Dean finished.

Getting up, Castiel went to the window and looked out. He didn't speak for a couple of minutes more and when he did, he sounded more determined than ever.

"No. He will not find you again. I will make sure of that. I will ask Gabriel for aid."

Dean looked over at Cas. Was he insane? Gabriel? Why would he help them? Wasn't that what he wanted? Didn't he want Sam and Dean to accept their roles and have their epic showdown?

"Gabriel? Been drinking, have you Cas?" He smirked. When he received no reply, Dean continued. "Are you kidding me? He will never help us. Did you forget our last conversation with him? How well that went?"

Castiel nodded. "Yes I do remember it. But you did not leave him there in the ring of oil. You helped him. He owes this to you. He will help."

"And how can he help us? He's been hiding. He's not gonna agree to come _out_ of hiding."

"We will take care of that. Maybe we can lay a false trail." Having made up his mind, Castiel moved towards the door. "I must leave. I must speak to Gabriel immediately. You stay here. I have marked some symbols into Bobby's walls so Zachariah will never find you here." Dean could distinctly hear Bobby muttering in the background and was sure he heard Bobby curse 'damn angel ruined my walls' and it almost made him smile. Almost.

Shaking his head, Dean looked at Cas and felt a rush of gratitude. He had saved them yet again. "Thanks Cas. If you hadn't saved us, I would have-" Dean couldn't continue and he looked away.

"No need to thank me, Dean." Castiel said. "You should have a word with Sam though. He is disturbed." He finished and before Dean could ask her more, he had walked out the door.

Dean sat back and drained the rest of his cup. Bobby, who had been quiet the entire time Dean and Castiel were talking was now looking at him expectantly. Dean looked at him questioningly and asked, "What? Have I got something on my face? Why are you looking at me all funny, old man?"

Bobby rolled his eyes and then glared at Dean. "Look son, I know you have had a really bad day but it's about time you told me what the hell is wrong between you and Sam. Now talk." Bobby ordered him.

"I don't know Bobby. It's not so simple to sort out this time." Dean sounded weary and sad and Bobby felt his heart go out to him.

"Dean-" Bobby sighed, "Look son… I know you're hurting, but if you guys are gonna fight this war, you need to do it together. I know the last few months have been hard on you…" he paused. "Both of you. But you need to pull it together son. Sam needs you. And I know you need him too."

Dean sighed heavily. Bobby was right. But he was still having a hard time dealing with what Sam had asked him to do. Taking a deep breath he said, "You know about me and Sam being Michael's and Lucifer's vessel right?" When Bobby nodded, Dean continued, "Well, Sammy wants me to say yes to Michael." Seeing the stunned look on Bobby's face, Dean smirked and took a sip of his coffee. "My sentiments exactly."

Bobby took of his cap and ran his hand over his head. Throwing it on the floor, he swore loudly. "Dammit!" He tried to calm himself down and then looked at Dean who was staring ahead, lost in thought. "Dean" he said, "Do you know why he said that to you? What the hell could have made him say that?"

"The usual crap. He's afraid he's gonna be Lucifer's meat suit and he wants me to stop the devil before that happens. You know it's just like when we were kids. He made the mistakes and I took up for him. I guess it's always gonna be like this. He makes the mess and I have to clean it up."

Bobby was just listening to Dean rant the entire time. After a moment, he sighed heavily and turned to Dean. "Look son, I know you're mad at him. You have every right to be. Hell I'm angry with the kid for suggestin' that. But I still think you should talk to the kid. Ask him _why_ he asked that of you, Dean. Sam's obviously not thinking right. The past few years had been hard on both of you Dean but you pulled through. I know I'm askin' a lot from ya', but can't you just talk to him?"

Dean frowned down at Bobby. He was so damn tired of everything. But he did need to sort things out with Sam. "Ok Bobby, I'll talk to him. But not right now. I'm gonna go and catch some zzz's"

"Alright." Bobby grumbled. "But you boys better wake up in time for lunch. I 'aint gonna serve it to you in bed."

Smiling softly, Dean made his way to the room that he and Sam were sharing. Opening the door, he was surprised to find that Sam wasn't there. Going to the bathroom, he listened at the door for any sounds from inside but there were none. Surprised, he knocked at the door. "Sam, you in there?" When he received no reply, Dean turned the knob and peeked inside only to find it empty. _That's weird_, he thought. He hadn't seen Sam come downstairs. Going into the kitchen, he asked Bobby, "Hey, you know where Sam is?" At the surprised look on his face, Dean started to panic. Sam couldn't…wouldn't leave, would he? Removing his cell from his jeans pocket, Dean started to dial Sam's number.

"Where could he be?" Bobby questioned him. "He knows better than to leave the house, doesn't he?" Dean didn't reply and nearly threw the phone when Sam didn't answer and it went to voicemail. "Dammit!" He exclaimed and grabbed his jacket.

Opening the front door, Dean went outside and looked around Bobby's yard but Sam was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

So....how was it? Please drop a review and let me know. Reviews are love!

The next chapter will be the last one. Thank you all for reading and reviewing my fic. You guys are awesome!


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